Brianna Sanderson, Year 6 student from Marian Catholic School is interviewed by WIN TV News about the encyclical Laudato Si’.

North Queensland Conservation Council (NQCC) today joins with the Townsville Catholic Diocese and conservationists around the world in celebrating the timely contribution of His Holiness Pope Francis to the crucial debate on our natural environment.

‘Pope Francis, with his innate love for the ‘person in the street’ and apparent sense of humour might well enjoy the spontaneous reaction of one NQCC member to the Pope’s words said NQCC Coordinator Wendy Tubman. ‘The member simply exclaimed ‘The Pope rocks!’

‘The Papal Encyclical released today shows how deeply the Pope has contemplated the crucial issue of climate change and its implications for the environment and all species within it’ Ms Tubman said. Continue reading →

On Thursday 18 June 2015, Pope Francis released an encyclical letter, Laudato Si‘ – Praise be on care for our common home.

Archbishop Denis Hart, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, provided a response from the Church in Australia at a press conference in the offices of the Archdiocese of Melbourne this morning.

Below you can view the address deliver by Archbishop Hart at the press conference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LdbrMAWE2I&feature=youtu.be

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Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory.
Photo credit: Jim River

His Holiness Pope Francis has challenged ‘every person living on this planet’ to enter into a new dialogue toward building a better future in his encyclical letter Laudato Si’ – ‘Praise be to you’, released today in Rome.

In dialogue with all people about our common home, the encyclical challenges us to ask ‘how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis and the sufferings of the excluded’ (13).

Pope Francis also drew attention to pressing environmental concerns such as pollution and climate change, and the use of fossil fuels. “Climate change is a global problem with serious implications, environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods; it represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day” (25). The Australian Catholic Bishops have strongly supported this statement. Continue reading →

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference communications office has developed a series of podcasts looking at each chapter of the book Tweet others as you would wish to be tweeted that can be downloaded free from the ACBC website or from iTunes.

The podcasts give an overview of each chapter of the book, discussing its contents with journalists, religious and church workers.

Tweet others as you would wish to be tweeted is a scripture-based guide to social media for the Church, and in a short 80-page paperback gives a rationale for why we should use social media for the greater glory of God. Continue reading →

The provision of safe and affordable housing is a basic human right. Catholic Social Teaching asserts that every person possesses inherent dignity, is of great value, and worthy of respect and protection. To treat people with dignity means affording them their basic human rights which include the right to the basic needs of life – such as food and shelter.

Having a safe, permanent and affordable home provides the stability necessary for an individual or family to meaningfully participate in their community.

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The Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum (CAPSA) has been officially launched at the start of World Refugee Week, which runs from June 14 to 20.

Backed by leading Catholic peak organisations and convened by Jesuit Social Services, CAPSA aims to change hearts and minds across Australia in support of the abolition of harsh asylum seeker policies.

The initiative wants to build on work being done in Catholic schools, parishes, and organisations across Australia. Continue reading →

Interview by Amelia Morris in advance of the 2015 eConference organised in partnership between the ACBC and Broken Bay Institute. The 2015 eConference, will tap into interfaith issues surrounding the three Abrahamic traditions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

Religion: Catalyst for Violence or Peace? Probing the Abrahamic Traditions for Answers

For some, the idea of one person being both a Professor of the New Testament and Professor of Jewish Studies seems extraordinary but for Professor Amy-Jill Levine from Vanderbilt University (USA), her two positions are intrinsically tied. Continue reading →

On Tuesday 23 June, The Broken Bay Institute, in partnership with the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference will kick off its 11th National eConference – ‘Religion: Catalyst for Violence or Peace? Probing the Abrahamic Traditions for Answers’.

The 2015 eConference will tap into interfaith issues surrounding the three Abrahamic traditions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam and will explore the potential for these traditions to cultivate peace in a world that associates religion with violence. As one of the most anticipated events in the Australian Church calendar, this will make a significant contribution to this most critical need in our world at this time. Continue reading →

The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office is calling for action to help the tragic situation for persecuted Rohingya people fleeing Myanmar.

The Rohingya people are fleeing Myanmar to escape government persecution and the denial of their citizenship. Many are stranded at sea in unstable boats off the coast of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia with limited food and water supplies.

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The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Communications Office has just released a new book, aimed directly at assisting parishes in their engagement with social media.

Tweet others as you would wish to be tweeted: a Scripture-based guide to social media for the Church was written by Catholic journalist Beth Doherty specifically with parishes in mind. Continue reading →